By Kedrick Storey
Southern Sentinel
RIPLEY – An early Saturday morning one-vehicle accident has claimed the lives of two Ripley teenagers.
Tippah County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Chris McCalister confirmed that Diana Johnson, 19, and Chris Blackmon, 18, were in a 2006 Chevy Malibu when the driver, Johnson, lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree, instantly killing both teenagers. The car was traveling west on Moores Mill Road at the time of the accident.
The call came in at approximately 12:30 a.m.
McCalister said Johnson and Blackmon were both wearing seat belts. The Ripley Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched and used the jaws of life to free the victims.
“It looks like they ran off the road to the right, came back across the road and struck the tree,” said McCalister, who added the passenger side struck the tree.
The Ripley Police Department and the Ripley Ambulance Service also responded to the scene.